Do you need a fun, fresh take on a dish for your Holiday Ham leftovers? Something easy, fast and crave-worthy? You’re gonna want to try this Hawaiian Fried Rice. And you’re gonna look like a genius when you bring this to the table! đ
Hawaiian Fried Rice with Ham & Pineapple
I’m guessing on the Islands, Spam might find its way into this Hawaiian Fried Rice, but a little leftover ham is like magic with the sweet pineapple that finishes this dish. Salty, sweet deliciousness. If you don’t have leftover ham, just rock this out with a ham steak; it’s likely to cost a bit more, but there’s not enough in this dish to break the bank. Fried Rice is a great way to use bits of this and bits of that from the fridge.
Hawaiian Fried Rice is absolutely riffable. You can pretty much put in whatever veggies you’d like. Go basic with carrots & peas, dress it up a bit with bell peppers and green onions, or lean toward the Asian side of things and add water chestnuts, bean sprouts and/or bamboo shoots. There’s no going wrong, here.
The only planning needed? You’ll want to start with cold rice, so make it ahead, use leftover, or make it, lay it out on a wax paper or parchment lined sheet tray and freeze it for a 20 minutes or so.
Hawaiian Fried Rice with Ham & Pineapple
This sauce is super simple and really not particular. You can pretty much let what’s in your cupboard & fridge dictate what you’ll use. Just customize it to your taste.
For me, it’s Oyster or Hoisin sauce for a deep, rich background flavor, Soy for saltiness, and a touch of Rice Vinegar or Rice Wine Vinegar to cut the sweet pineapple. I love a little heat, so white pepper sparks it up. If you have small children, go easy or leave the white pepper out and just use black pepper.
Perfect fried rice isn’t difficult, and it you’ve got a large pan and a great stove, you can make this all in one batch and have stellar fried rice with no worries. If you need to, saute up the veg, cook the egg and divide everything into two batches, like I suggest on my post for the Asian Grandmother’s Fried Rice.
Hawaiian Fried Rice with Ham & Pineapple
Hawaiian Fried Rice
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oyster or hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- white pepper or black pepper to taste (suggest 1/4 teaspoon white pepper)
Mix sauce ingredients, set aside. You can always add more of any ingredient when the rice is finished.
Fried Rice:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon oil, divided as needed
- 1½ to 2 cups diced ham
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- about 2 cups your choice vegetables: diced bell pepper and/or carrot, peas, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, etc. See note.
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups cold, cooked rice
- 1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained, or about a cut diced pineapple
- sauce (above)
- chopped green onions for garnish
Add a tablespoon oil to a large skillet or wok and heat to medium high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring now and then until a little browned and crispy on edges. Remove to a large plate.
Add a little more oil and cook and add onions and vegetables that need to be cooked through, like the bell pepper and/or carrot, if using. Fry, stirring often, until tender. Push to one side and add the beaten eggs. Let cook until they become opaque, then chop and stir them. Set aside the veggies and eggs on the plate with the ham.
Add a little more oil and when hot, add rice, cooking for a minute or two, picking it up and turning with the spatula, until it becomes just a little bit toasted. Add the vegetables, egg and ham mixture back in. Add pineapple and if using, peas, water chestnuts and/or bamboo shoots.
Drizzle with the sauce ingredients, stir all together and taste. Add more soy if it needs more salt, pepper or white pepper to taste or more of any of the sauce ingredients if desired.
Turn out onto a large platter. Garnish with green onions.
Notes:
- Any raw vegetables will need to be cooked with the onions. Cooked or partially cooked vegetables, such as frozen peas or canned vegetables will be added later after the rice has been toasted.
- If you do not have a large pan and a good, hot burner, cook through the point that the eggs and veggies are removed. Add in half the rice, then use half of the rest of ingredients. Turn it out onto the platter and repeat with remaining ingredients.
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Iâll be taking this recipe to Fiesta Friday number 204, hosted this week by Sandhya @ Indfused.com. If youâve never stopped by Sandhyaâs blog, full of Indian and Indian American fusion, do so! Youâre in for a treat. And be sure to stop by Fiesta Friday and see all the New Yearâs posts! Party food galore. Happy New Yearâs, yaâall!
Put your own Spin on It:
I mentioned a few ways to riff on this recipe, above, but do make it your own. The sauce in this is so forgiving. I’ve seen recipes that used only soy, others that have used a bottled Teriyaki, so it’s hard to go wrong. The flavors are ideal with ham, but would be good with chicken, too.
Helpful Links
If you came to this recipe looking for a way to use leftover ham, be sure to check out the link below for 12 Days of Ham. You might want to see the sister post for 12 Days of Turkey, too.
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